Wheel-tire.



2 Sheets4-Sheat I.

Patented Mar. I3, |900.

W. CRLISS.

wHEEL TIRE,

(Application iled Mar. 16, 1899`l .TN SAENZ-UE whim-5555 f Patented Mar.I3, 1900.

lw. com lss. WHEEL TIRE.

(Application led Mar. 16, 1899.?

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 (No Mo'del.)

IN air/#IDE WITN'ZSSEz.'

M u D I THE NCRRIS Pm CO., PNOTDLITKD.. WASHINGTON, D. CA y gmx/55mg@UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

VILLIAM CORLISS, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

WH EELiTlR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 645,310, dated March13, 1900. Application filed March 16, 1899. Serial No, 709,277. (Nomodel.)

To @ZZ 10.71.0771/ it moby concern:

'Be it known that I, WILLIAM CORLIss, of Providence, in the county ofProvidence and State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Wheel-Tires; and I hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact ldescription of the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention has reference to an improvement in pneumatic wheel-tiresespecially designed for use on vehicles where a heavy load is to besupported and also adapted for use on bicycles or tricycles.

Pneumatic tires as heretofore constructed may be, broadly, divided intotwo classes, the first of which is the single-tube or hose-pipe tire, inwhich the tube is made of textile material impregnated and covered withrubber. This tube is practically non-expansible, sufficiently strong towithstand great internal pressure, and of sufficient thickness to resistfor a considerable time the wear and tear of use. The second class ofpneumatic tires consists in a non-expansible outer cover secured to therim of the wheel containing an expansible air-tube, which when filledwith air under pressure expands and bearing on the inner side of thecover maintains the cover in its expanded form under the desiredpressure. Both of these two classes of pneumatic tires have beenprovided with armor to protect the tires against puncturing or cutting.

When the wheels of a vehicle roll on the ground, the pneumatic tire atthe point of contact with the ground is compressed, and as the wheelrolls on this compression moves forward on the tire, while theresiliency of the compressed air in the tire restores the tire to itsnormal condition. In the single-tube tire the construction of the tubeby which strength and durability are secured resists to some extent thedepression of the tube by the load in front and the quick return of thetube to its normal tubular condition in the rear, and in the secondclass of tires the material of the cover affects the quick life actionof the tire.

One object of this invention is to produce a tire in which the load issupported cna flexible non-elastic tube which is protected against wearand injury.

Another object of the invention is to support the wheel and load on aflattened pneumatic tube resting on an extended base,whereby the lateralswaying of the vehicle is avoided; and a further object of the inventionis to construct a wheel-tire in which alower airpressure may sustain agreater load and a more sightly tire is secured.

The invention consists in the'peculiar and novel construction and thecombination of the parts whereby a transversely-dattened pneumatic tireis secured to the Wheel, as willbe more fully set forth hereinafter.

Figure 1 is a side view, partlyin section, of a pneumatic tire forcarriage-wheels or the wheels of similar vehicles. Fig. 2 is atransverse sectional view of the same, showing the supporting rim andbolster. Fig. 3 is a side view of my improved pneumatic tire shown withthe cover removed. Fig. 4L is a transverse sectional view of the tireillustrating its application to a bicycle-rim. Fig. 5 is a View, partlyin section, of the bolt used to secure the bolster. Fig. 6 is a topview, and Fig. 7 a sectional view, of the armor-hoop by which theoutward expansion of the tire is limited and the flattened cross-sectionof the pneumatic tire maintained. Fig. 8 is a top view of the splice bywhich the ends of the bolster are secured. Fig. 9 is a side view of thepneumatic tube and bolster, showing the loops by which the tube issecured to the bolster and held against creeping. Fig. lO is atransverse sectional view of the pneumatic tube and the loops. Fig. 11is a top view of the bolster, showing the holes in the same.

Similar marks of reference indicate corresponding parts in all theigures.

In the drawings, o indicates the felly of the ordinary carriage or othervehicle wheel and b the metal rim, taking the place of the tireheretofore used on such wheels to secure a firm support for theflattened pneumatic tire. The rim b is provided on each side with theupwardly-curved flanges lg b' and is also provided With the centralgroove b2 for the reception ofthe lacings c', by which the edges of theflexible non-elastic cover c are secured IOO together. d is a bolsterforming an expansible ring, the ends of which abut or nearly abut whenin the operative position, but may be drawn apart to expand the bolsterwhen the tire is to be removed from or passed over the upper edges ofthe curved flanges b' b of the rim. The bolster d bridges the groove b2in the rim b and has its opposite sides curved upward, so as to bear onthe flanges b b' and give a Iirm support to practically the whole widthof the flexible non-elastic pneumatic tube e, made of woven or braidedfabric. This tube c is not covered or impregnated with rubber or othermaterial. It is made as light and exible as possible. The light rubberfilm tubefis placed into the textile tube e land is connected with thevalve-tube f', through which air under pressure is forced into the tubej', and the same, as also the textile tube e, is sustained under thedesired airpressure. The steel hoop g, forming a continuous ring ofspring-steel, is separated along the margins g g by cuts into a seriesof small flexible plates which readily yield to any changes in thetextile tube c and prot-ect the tube against punctures. The centralportion of the steel hoop gis fiat, but along the margins the shallowgrooves g2 g2 are formed to prevent any lateral sliding of the steelhoop g on the textile tube e. For light vehicles the cuts separating themargins g' into a series of individual spring-plates may extend acrossthe shallow grooves g2 g2, as is indicated at .the lower left-handcorner of Fig. 6.

The cover c is formed of flexible non-elastic material and is preferablyimpregnated or covered with rubber or similar elastic material. Thetransversely-flattened textile tube e, resting on the bolsterd andmaintained in the flattened condition by the steel hoop g, forms thesupport of the wheel and load, and owing to the flattened centralportion a large supporting area for the air-pressure to act upon ispresented, so that with a comparatively-low air-pressure a heavy loadmay be sustained, and as the flexible textile tube e is supported on thebolster practically the whole width and also for the greater part of thewidth on the ground the lateral swaying and uneasy motion in motor orother carriages are avoided, the excessive strain on the ma# terial ofthe tire is greatly diminished, and the depth of the tire is materiallyreduced as well as the extent of' the vertical motion ot' the wheel,while a durable, noiseless, elastic, and sightly tire issecured,avoiding the clumsy appearance as heretofore constructed.

Pneumatic tires have a tendency to creep on the rims and are usuallycemented to the rims to prevent creeping. As I consider it desirable topreserve the flexibility and free action of the textile tube e, Iprovide the same with a number of the loops e c', the ends of which arefirmly secured to the textile tube c. The loops extending under thebolster d are firmly held between the curved outer margins of thebolster CZ and the cover c, the cover c being also firmly secured bybeing clamped between the upwardly-curved flanges h b' of the rim b andthe superimposed curved margins of the bolster.

In the preferred form I provide the bolster d with a number of holes dd', as is shown in Fig. ll, so that the air-pressure in the textile tubee will force portions of the wall of the textile tube into these holes,and thereby materially resist 'the tendency of the tube to creep on thebolster. This bolster, forming an open ring, is provided at the endswith the slotted plates d2 d, and when the tire is inflated and readyfor use the T-bolt d3, extending through the tube d4, is secured byscrewing the internallyscrewthreaded tube d5 onto the screw-threaded endd ot the T-bolt, thus drawing the head onto the slotted plates d2 d2 andsecuring the bolster in its contracted position, as is shown in Figs. 5and S. By this construction the flexibility and movement of thepneumatic textile tube e under a load are neither limited nor impeded bythe cover c. The textile tube is not concentric with the cover, and whenthe tire is compressed by the load the cover moves outwardly away fromthe sides ofthe textile tube, thus leaving the textile tube and the aircontained in it free to act and react, thereby securing the quickresilient action of the pneumatic textile tube and an easy-ridingelastic tire.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patentl. In a wheel-tire, the combination with the fellies ofthe wheel, a metal rim having flanges extending on each side beyond thefellies, a flexible, non-elastic cover, an expansible bolster bearing onthe cover and supported on the outwardly-extending flanges of the metalrim, a flexible, textile, non-expansible tube, an air-tube, and aspring-steel hoop interposed between the cover and the textile tube;where'- by the pneumatic textile tube of flattened cross-section issupported by the rim and bolster, as described.

2. In a wheel-tire, the combination of the following instrumentalities:a flexible, nonexpansible textile tube, an elastic air-tube in thenon-expansible tube, a steel hoop encir cling the textile tube to holdit in the flattened condition, and an expansible bolster :forming thesupport across the width of the flattened textile tube 5 the wholeadapted to form the pneumatic support of the wheel and load, asdescribed.

3. In a wheel-tire, in combination, a ilexible, non-expansible tube, anain-tube and connections for inllating the same, a steel hoop having themargins divided into plates by transverse cuts the central portionacting to hold the tube in the ilattened condition, a bolster formingthe support of the flattened, pneumatic tube across, practically, itswidth, a metallic rim having flanges extending on each IOO IIC)

side beyond the fellies, and a flexible cover inclosing the pneumatictube and secured between the flanges of the rim and the bolster;

whereby a pneumatic tire having a broad tread is supported along itsopposite sides on the rim and the lateral swaying ot the vehicle isavoided, as described.

et. In a wheel-tire, in combination, a flexible, non-elastic tube, anexpansible air-tube within the same, a spring-steel hoop surrounding thenon-expansible tube, plates formed by transverse cuts made into themargins of the spring-steel hoop, inwardly-projecting, longitudinalgrooves in the central portion of the spring-steel hoop, and anexpansible bolster forming a support of practically the whole lwidth ofthe flattened, non-expansible airthe tire, and the flexible coversecured together by lacings and to the rim by the expansible bolster;whereby the pneumatic tire is supported practically across its wholewidth and a lower air-pressure may be used to support a given load, asdescribed.

G. Inapneumatic tire, the combination with the non-expansible tube andthe bolster supporting the tube, of loops secured to the tube andextending around the bolster, as described.

7. In a pneumatic tire, in combination, a

non-expansible tube containing an air-tube,

a bolster supporting the non-expansible tube, a wheel-rim, and loopssecured to the nonexpansible tube and extending around the bolster;whereby the loops are secured between the bolster and the rim and thetube is held against creeping, as described.

8. In a pneumatic tire, the combination with the non-expansible tube c,of the bolster d, and the holes d' d' in the bolster; whereby thenon-expansible tube is held against creeping, as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM OORLISS.

Witnesses:

J. A. MILLER, .I r., B. M. SIMMs.

